Immediate Health Benefits of Losing Weight

Losing weight can make an immediate difference in your appearance and self-esteem. Shedding just a few pounds can make your clothes fit differently and give you a new perspective on how you see yourself. 

You can achieve immediate benefits when you lose as little as 5% to 10% of your body weight. These small victories can help you remain motivated to reach your goal and enjoy the long-term advantages of living with a healthy weight. Enrolling in a medical weight management program can help you achieve the fastest results by giving you the tools you need to lose weight.

The medical weight management specialists at Macomb Medical Clinic in Sterling Heights, Michigan, provide personalized, results-oriented weight loss programs for patients seeking to improve their well-being. Ongoing supervision and support can help you meet both short-term and long-term weight loss objectives. 

The immediate health advantages you achieve from losing weight depend on factors including your physical condition, medical history, and existing chronic illnesses. Generally, as you begin to shed pounds, you can expect to achieve the following benefits:

Lower your risk of heart attack and stroke

It doesn’t take much weight loss to improve your cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Losing just 5% to10% of your body weight helps you achieve these benefits, which can reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. 

Carrying a higher than normal weight exerts unnecessary strain and stress on your entire circulatory system. The extra weight contributes to high blood pressure because it makes your blood push harder against your artery walls. More weight also means more fat and a higher risk of having plaque form in your coronary arteries where it can cause a heart attack. 

As you begin to lose weight, you reduce the pressure exerted against your artery walls and lower blood pressure. In addition, your levels of LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides decrease, while levels of HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) increase, which also contributes to heart health.

Shedding pounds also lowers your risk of developing a blood clot that can form and travel to your brain, heart, or lungs. About 87% of strokes are associated with a blood clot that interferes with the brain’s blood supply. 

Reverse or delay Type 2 diabetes

Research indicates that you may be able to promote the remission of Type 2 diabetes by losing 10% of your body weight if you do so within the first five years you have the condition. You can achieve these benefits no matter which weight loss method you use or how fast you lose weight. 

Even if weight loss doesn’t result in complete disease remission, it can help you reduce the amount of medication you take, control your blood sugar, and lessen your risk of complications. 

Prevent joint deterioration

Carrying extra body weight contributes to the normal wear and tear that deteriorates your joints. No matter how much you weigh, walking or standing exerts a load equal to four times your body weight on your knee joints. 

If you weigh 250 pounds, you’re exerting 1,000 pounds of force on your knees. While every pound accounts for 4 more pounds of force, every lost pound reduces the load by the same amount. Losing 25 pounds, or 10% of your body weight at 250 pounds, reduces the load by 100 pounds. 

Though weight loss can’t improve joint damage caused by excess weight, it can help restore normal movement and function, prevent the progression of existing damage, and reduce pain and discomfort.

Eliminate obstructive sleep apnea 

Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition that prevents you from achieving the rest that’s necessary to stay healthy and fight disease. The condition causes you to stop breathing while you’re asleep, forcing you to awaken up to 30 times in an hour to re-establish normal breathing. 

You have a higher risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea if you’re overweight because having excess weight makes it more likely that you have extra tissue at the back of your throat. When you sleep, the extra tissue can fall back, cover your throat, and block your airway. 

Untreated obstructive sleep apnea can lead to health problems including stroke, high blood pressure, and Type 2 diabetes. A 10% weight loss can dramatically reduce the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea and the likelihood of complications. The reduction of fat tissue that occurs with weight loss can cure the condition for some individuals.

Learn more about the immediate benefits of weight loss and how we can help you achieve your goals to improve your health. Schedule a consultation with our team by calling our office today.